


Before the Final Mission

by AlphaStarwell



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/F, F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-20 20:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14901123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaStarwell/pseuds/AlphaStarwell
Summary: Shepard had some leisure time to spend with whomever she pleased before the Suicide Mission... she chose every option, yet nothing went well that evening.





	Before the Final Mission

****Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect 2 or anything related to it, I just wrote this for fun and pleasure.** **

****

****A/N: WARNING: This is meant to be cracky. Especially during the part where Shepard starts talking about what happened during her romances. Do not take this story seriously.** **

 

Everyone was avoiding Amelia Shepard that morning. They had merely twenty minutes or so left until they were ready to use the Omega Relay and launch the suicide mission.

 

And everyone knew that the commander had been interacting with some specific crewmembers. And by "interacting", that meant more than simply talking or hanging around in the same room with them.

 

Everyone knew that a few specific individuals were interested in the commander, whether it be deep infatuation or desire for her or perhaps even something akin to love.

 

And thus everyone, especially Mordin and Joker, knew that Commander Shepard would have to make her choice eventually. Or perhaps make no choice at all. Surely someone like Shepard wouldn't let love or lust get in the way of a mission so important, would she? Plus she still had someone back home… didn't she? Or had she given up on Kaiden, after the way he brushed her off on Horizon?

 

But no one could have expected what happened within the past hour and a half. The Commander had apparently-according to rumors, at least-gone to see each of those who were interested in her. Bets had been made over who she would choose and there were even a couple of bets on whether or not anyone would fight over her. And some speculated that Shepard merely wanted to talk to each of these individuals before the mission so that she could clear the air, and make her feelings clear before the mission engaged.

 

After all, it was best to make sure there was nothing distracting anyone during that final, critical mission. Correct?

 

However, again, no one could have anticipated what happened. After Shepard reportedly went to see each of the persons who were interested in her, (the crewmembers with the growing credit pot were very glad for Cerberus's spy devices throughout the ship at this point) the Commander seemed to be… well, not quite herself.

 

Actually, "not quite herself" was putting it mildly. She looked as though she had a dark storm cloud hovering over her head wherever she went, and her face seemed to be etched into a permanent scowl. Not only that, but she appeared to be injured in some areas, and some of the crew had reportedly seen her going into the infirmary.

 

Shepard made her usual rounds, checking in with everyone, then she decided to simply go to her quarters and lock the door. There wasn't much time left before the mission was launched, but she knew she wanted to spend what little time she had left trying to get herself together. Apparently, instead of smoothing things over before the final mission, she had only made things worse.

 

"Commander Shepard," EDI's soft, textured, mechanical voice greeted her as she entered her cabin, causing her to start a little. "You seem… tense."

 

"Tense, like hell," Amelia grumbled, initiating the locking mechanism on her door. "I'm pissed off and I'm pretty sure four other people feel the same way right now." She pressed her hands against the closed door and then rested her forehead against it, squeezing her eyes shut. "Or at least, very disappointed," she murmured to herself.

 

"Shepard," the artificial intelligence spoke again. It's holographic "globe" shape seemed to brighten over the console where it appeared for the purpose of direct interaction. "The entire crew has noticed your significant change in mood. And I have certainly noticed because I have been watching you on every deck of the ship."

 

Shepard shoved herself away from the door and turned to glare at EDI's holoform, folding her arms across her chest. "What, you're spying on me?" she snipped.

 

"Hardly, I am merely concerned about you," EDI informed the commander gently. "I've grown to care a great deal about my crew. And it is like you have been saying all along, Shepard. There is a chance no one will survive this mission, so everyone needs to be at their best."

 

Amelia had no comment for that. She knew that she was far from being "at her best" right now.

 

As if reading her mind-or perhaps simply wanting to reinforce the point-EDI then said, "Perhaps you should look in your mirror, Commander."

 

After a mere moment's hesitation, Amelia walked over to the other side of her cabin and peered into her mirror. She stared for a moment, then blinked several times at what she saw. Was that what she looked like right now? It was no wonder she'd received a few gasps from some of the crewmembers, and it was probably why Tali had asked her repeatedly if she was all right.

 

"I better get a napkin," she muttered under her breath and went in search of one. Apparently her lower lip was still bleeding, although she hadn't stayed in the infirmary long enough for the doctor to tend to all of her injuries. Mostly just the serious ones which caused her the most pain.

 

"Amelia," EDI spoke again, surprising the commander a little by using her first name. No rank, no last name, just the first name. "Would you like to talk about it? You might feel better if you do."

 

Shepard found her secret stash of napkins and placed them on her table. She kept a small supply in there for minor "emergencies", such as a bloody nose or if she started crying in the middle of the night for some reason or other. She hadn't cried all that much, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

"Why, EDI?" Amelia asked as she pressed a napkin to her lip, applying pressure and allowing it to soak up the blood. She hadn't even realized that blood was dribbling down her chin until she'd looked in the mirror, so she used a separate napkin to wipe at that. "You trying to be like my mother?"

 

"Negative," EDI replied with a trace of amusement in its-her?-voice. "However it seems that you are unwilling to speak to anyone else about this. And I believe that humans do feel better after they talk about what is on their mind. So I am here to listen if you want to talk, Amelia."

 

The commander sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed and tending to her bloody lip as she thought. She then realized that her chin was bleeding too, and that was the true source of blood in that area. As she worked on stopping the bleeding, she thought things over.

 

In many ways, the idea of talking to an AI about her problems seemed silly. Yet right now, the last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone else on the ship. Especially since most of the crew was busy gossiping or betting on the results of her failed romances, (yes, she knew; she pretended not to know what they were doing but she wasn't stupid). And she certainly couldn't go and chat with Thane, Garrus, Jacob or Kelly. Because those four were the reason she felt the way she did now, and she was sure that they would feel just as awkward or uncomfortable around her right now.

 

"Okay, fine," Shepard said, shrugging in resignation. She got up off the bed and went to check herself in the mirror. Her lip and chin were a bit nasty to look at it, but at least the bleeding had stopped. She disregarded the napkins she'd used and then she walked over to the terminal where she could speak to EDI directly.

 

"Pull up a chair, Amelia," the AI told her gently.

 

Figuring that was a good idea, the commander went over to her desk and grabbed her chair, carrying it over to the terminal. Once she was seating in the chair, she looked up at the holoform before her.

 

"I don't know where to begin," Amelia finally said in a dull tone, shaking her head a little.

 

"How about from the beginning?" EDI suggested gently.

 

"Okay, fine." Amelia sucked in a deep breath and leaned back in her seat. "Well, I decided I would speak with four specific people, one at a time, because I wanted to try and smooth things over before the mission began."

 

"That much I deduced already," EDI commented when the commander paused for breath. "But what happened?"

 

"Well," Amelia began again, "that's where things began to get complicated, because…" She sighed. "I was planning to break it off with them all. To tell them we needed to focus on the mission and nothing else mattered. I mean, surely this is not the time to get all tangled up in a romance that might just get cut short, depending on if we survive or not…"

 

"Amelia," EDI interrupted gently, "you are rambling. Please, tell me what happened."

 

"I guess it's because I was dead, and I know it," Amelia went on, as if she hadn't heard the interruption. "I wanted to try and make the most of it, just in case I died again. Because I know that if I die this time, I'm going to stay dead. So part of me decided to throw the rulebook out the window and just… do as much as I could, simply because I could. Because this might be the last time I have a chance to do anything during my free time."

 

"So what happened?" EDI asked, trying to get the commander back on track. The AI could understand that Shepard needed to get all of her thoughts and feelings out in the open, but the fact was… they only had a small amount of time left.

 

"First I went to see Thane," Amelia began, fiddling with her fingers in her lap as she spoke. "He called me his 'Siha', although I didn't know what that even meant until he explained himself."

 

She took a deep breath, then went on. "I'm not sure if I love him or not, but he seems to be in love with me. And I figured that since he is dying, and I might die again on this mission… perhaps we could share some time together."

 

"How did it go?" EDI pressed gently when the commander paused.

 

Amelia frowned, shrugging a little. "He pretty much got all mopey on me, saying that he was scared of dying and he felt ashamed of his fears. He talked on and on about it, and he wouldn't even listen to me. I mean, I died, and I know what it's like. So I think he should have listened to me when I told him that dying is nothing, and he should have just shut up so we could enjoy what time we did have!"

 

She stopped talking. She hadn't even realized that her voice had risen to just above a shout. "I ended up leaving his quarters," she finally went on. "He just wouldn't shut up! I bet he's still angsting in there, and I'll even bet that he doesn't even realize I'm gone."

 

"So, what happened next?" EDI asked patiently.

 

"I decided I needed to go somewhere, anywhere, because frankly just being around him was making me feel depressed," Amelia replied.

 

Then, unable to bear sitting still any longer, she got up and began to pace and fourth as she continued. "So I decided to go and visit Kelly. I needed someone who could lighten my mood, and she is always so cheerful and so talkative… I figured she could help me get my mind off things."

 

"I take it that did not go well, either?" EDI assumed.

 

Amelia shook her head, then plopped down into her chair again. "Not by a long shot," she murmured, running a hand through her short, reddish hair. "I just wanted to talk and hang out a bit, maybe over some coffee. But do you know what she did?"

 

"No, what did she do?"

 

"Well, as soon as I go to her quarters, she asks me to sit down and then she turns on some music. Then she goes into the bathroom, saying she's going to 'slip into something more comfortable'. She then changed out of her uniform into the most ridiculous dance outfit I'd ever seen, and she began to dance to the music!"

 

Amelia buried her face into her hands. "I don't know which got to her more, the look of shock on my face or when I implied disgust. It's just… I did not go there to watch her dance, I just wanted to have a talk, woman to woman. And when I voiced my displeasure… she got upset. She ran back into the bathroom and started crying. So I left."

 

"Kelly has been watching you closely for some time," EDI remarked. "I believe she has been hoping that you would like her back."

 

"Yeah well, that's what I went there to talk about, among other things," Amelia said bitterly. "But she shouldn't have assumed I would be 'turned on' or whatever just because she started dancing in that skimpy outfit. If someone is into me, I'd rather I have a chance to tell them I'm into them too, and get to know them first, before they do something like that. Otherwise they're no better than a club dancer who would readily dance for anyone at all… at least that's my opinion."

 

"So what happened next?" EDI asked.

 

"Well, by this point I'm feeling pretty upset," Amelia said miserably. "Because that was two strikes so far. So then I went to see Garrus, because I was desperate to 'blow off some steam'. And we had at least talked about the idea of… well, you know." She cleared her throat sheepishly.

 

"Yes, I know," EDI murmured, encouraging the commander to continue.

 

"So I went to his quarters to find him, and he said that I looked terrible," Shepard went on. "I need to say that that actually touched me, because he was the first person all evening who actually seemed to notice how I was feeling. He wasn't talking about fears or shame like Thane, or simply trying to turn me on like Kelly was.

 

"So," she continued, "he invites me into his quarters and we talk for a while. I vent my frustrations to him, and he listens and seems to understand what I'm saying. Then after a while, we somehow mutually agree to 'blow off some steam together'." Amelia trailed off and fell silent again, making a face as if reliving some horrible memory.

 

"I take it that this did not go well either?" EDI prompted her.

 

"Hell no," Amelia replied bitterly. "Let's just say that… he wasn't exactly what I would call 'hot' under his armor and clothes." She shuddered. "His skin was rough and well, it was like trying to have sex with a rock, really. Not only that but when he tried to kiss me…" She touched the injuries on her mouth and chin indicatively.

 

"Ouch," EDI acknowledged emphatically.

 

"Not only that but he broke a couple of my ribs when we tried to test our reach and flexibility," Amelia added. "He apologized profusely, especially when he realized that I was not enjoying myself as much as he was. As we put our clothes back on he offered to help me get to the infirmary, but I told him to stay in his quarters. I said I could make it on my own."

 

"So then your injuries were healed… with the exception of your facial injuries," EDI acknowledged. "But what happened after that?"

 

"I came here," Amelia moaned.

 

"So you did not go to see Jacob."

 

"No I did not. Though you knew that already." Shepard placed her chin in her hands, looking for all the world like a sad puppy dog.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Because this evening has already been crappy enough. And well… there's another reason why I can't go anywhere near Jacob." She frowned deeply. "Especially now."

 

"And why is that?"

 

Amelia was silent for a long moment. Then finally she said, barely above the a whisper, "He reminds me too much of Kaiden. And it wouldn't be fair to him, you know? I can't love him if I'm really thinking of Kaiden."

 

A silence fell over the room. Before it could get too unbearable though, EDI spoke.

 

"Commander Amelia Shepard… you are one erroneous individual," the AI finally said.

 

Amelia said nothing. Yet somehow… she could not disagree.


End file.
